The Education Oversight Committee (EOC) recently approved that only 3rd through 11th grade School Climate surveys will impact the School Climate indicator rating for school report cards. Previously, 3rd through 12th grade surveys were used to determine the School Climate indicator rating for a school’s report card.
What does this mean?
While 3rd to 12th grade students will be administered the School Climate survey, only 3rd through 11th grade surveys will impact the school’s rating.
All survey responses from 3rd through 12th graders will be given to school and district leaders for the purpose of continuous improvement. Survey responses will be aggregated and de-identified to protect respondent confidentiality.
Why the change?
Statewide data indicated a low survey response rate for 12th grade students compared to other grades. Also, 12th graders are less likely to be on campus during the survey window. Both of these factors can possibly negatively impact a school’s School Climate indicator survey.
Click here to view the 2023-2024 Accountability Manual
For the current school year, South Carolina high schools do not have to submit a mandatory report detailing the college destinations of their graduating classes.
The SC Education Oversight Committee purchased access to the National Student Clearinghouse Student Tracker data for the first time in 2022, giving all SC high schools access to graduation and enrollment data from the nearly 3,600 colleges and universities that participate in the Clearinghouse system, covering 97 percent of two- and four-year colleges in the country.
This action allowed for the suspension of the college freshman reporting requirements of Section 59-101-130 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. The suspension occurred with the passage of a proviso in the 2023-2024 Appropriation Act.
“The data that schools receive from the National Student Clearinghouse is a significant step in providing clarity once students leave SC high schools and move on to postsecondary learning,” said EOC Executive Director Dana Yow.
“Each high school can now see what percentage of their graduates enter any postsecondary institution – in-state or out-of-state – and if those students persist into their sophomore year and ultimately receive a degree or credential within six years. Using this data to replace portions of the College Freshman Report requirement also removes that burden from SC educators.”
Each high school has received individualized reports for Classes 2015-2022, containing data on college enrollment, persistence, and completion within six years.
The EOC’s Post-Grad Dashboard visually illustrates the National Student Clearinghouse report and provides data on the percentage of graduates who enrolled in college the fall after graduation, top majors of students, as well as information on where students are attending college. For the reported years, 59 percent of SC high school graduates enrolled in college in the fall following graduation.
The Dashboard can be broken down to very specific data points. For example, the Post Grad Top Majors dashboard shows that 147 Kershaw County high school students from the graduation classes of 2014 to 2022 majored in Liberal Arts and Sciences and can further pinpoint the number of students from a specific graduation class and a specific high school.
The Honorable William “Bill” Hager has been appointed to join the SC EOC. Rep. Hager serves Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper residents in House District 122. Hager serves as the designee for Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee, Rep. Shannon Erickson, replacing Rep. Raye Felder.
In order to improve the user experience on ExpectMoreSC, the EOC will be conducting a brief, virtual focus group to gain stakeholder feedback. If you are interested in participating, please provide your contact information through this form.
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COLUMBIA – During a special-called Education Oversight Committee (EOC) meeting held on Monday, November 14, Executive Director Matthew Ferguson informed committee members of his intention to accept the position of Deputy Superintendent at the SC Department of Education (SCDE) under Superintendent-Elect Ellen Weaver beginning in January 2023.
Ferguson outlined specific examples of EOC work which took place under his leadership – such as obtaining information on post-secondary outcomes of SC high school graduates for the first time, publishing a dashboard showcasing the outcomes from public-funded four-year-old classrooms across the state, and supporting a focus on student growth in school accountability.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as your Executive Director, and I am proud of the work of the Education Oversight Committee over the past nearly 3 years that I’ve been privileged to serve,” Ferguson stated in remarks to the committee. “It is my hope is that I have left the agency stronger than I found it, and I truly think we are well-positioned for even greater impact in the future.”
Ferguson will also be assisting in the transition of leadership at the SCDE during the month of December 2022. Dana Yow, the agency’s Deputy Director, will serve as Interim Executive Director beginning in January while a search is underway.
The SC Education Oversight Committee is an independent, non-partisan group made up of 18 educators, business persons, and elected leaders. Created in 1998, the committee is dedicated to reporting facts, measuring change, and promoting progress within South Carolina’s education system.
The recently released SC READY data from students in grades 3-8 show that English Language Arts (ELA) scores have rebounded to pre-pandemic (2019) levels. Scores in mathematics improved from 2021 levels but remain alarming, especially for students from vulnerable subgroups.
The following chart shows the percentage of 3rd grade students who scored Meets or Exceeds Expectations in English Language Arts by subgroup:
Demographic Group
Number Tested
Percentage Meets or Exceeds Expectations in ELA 3rd Grade
All Students
55,905
48%
Hispanic or Latino
6,756
37%
Black or African American
17,453
30%
White
27,004
62%
Pupils in Poverty (PIP)
35,313
37%
Non-Pupils in Poverty (PIP)
20,512
68%
We celebrate the growth and improvement in student achievement as compared to 2021; the last three years have been challenging for students and families.
The EOC has already identified several schools where more than half of students are demonstrating growth that places them on the path to college and career readiness, and plan to publicly recognize such schools for these improvements. We also recognize that there is much work to be done; six in ten students in math and more than half of students in English Language Arts are not meeting grade level standards. It is ultimately up to each community to prepare their students to be college- and career-ready, and there is a role that each of us must play in making certain that all children achieve success.
